Shipping and storage container



Dec.

H. F. CECIL SHIPPING AND STORAGE CONTAINER Filed Oct. 18. 1954 40 Jam-4.

HOWA an E qEC/L I N V EN TOR.

H UEBNER, BEEHLER,

United States This invention relates to containers for shipping and/ or storing garments, piece goods, and the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved container having hanger means releasably secured to the cover of the container for supporting objects hung in the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container of the above mentioned character and adapted to be formed from paper board blanks which can be shipped in'unassernbled or partly assembled flat condition to reduce shipping costs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a contai'ner for shipping or storing garments and other piece goods, which container has a plurality of garment hangers relleasablysecured thereto and maintained in fixed spaced apart relation, whereby the hangers are prevented from sliding against each other and thus maintain the garments free from wrinkles and ready for use or display upon being unpacked from the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved container for hanging garments therein, which is i of simple and rugged construction and because of its simplicity of construction can be manufactured relatively inexpensively, with a view to supplying the public with a container of the above-mentioned character at low cost.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following part of this specification, wherein the details of construction and manner of assemblying an embodiment thereof are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

, Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank of sheet material for forming a body section of a container embodying my inventron;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a blank for forming a cover for the container;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cover on an enlarged scale and shown in folded position with a wire garment hanger depending therefrom;

Figure 4 is ,a detail longitudinal section of the cover showing the manner in which the hanger is attached to the cover when the cover is placed in its fiat position as on the body section of the container;

Figure 5 is a perspective exploded or disassembled view of the container; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the container in fully assembled condition, as when ready for shipment.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, reference numeral 10 desigates a blank formed from sheet material of fibre board, corrugated board, and like stiffiy flexible materials, herein collectivelyreferred to as paper board. The blank 10 is of rectangular outline having edges 11 and 12, which are herein referred to as end edges, and edges 13 and 14 constituting side edges of the blank. It is scored or otherwise weakene d along three parallel lines 15, on which the bl nkmay be folded to form a tubular body section 16,

atent shown in Figure 5 in completely assembled condition. The fold lines 15 are spaced apart in a manner to provide two wide Walls 17 and 18 and two narrow walls 19 and 20, with the wide walls 17 and 18 being herein designated as the front and rear panels respectively, and the narrow walls 19 and 20 being designated as side panels for the container. Tubular body section 16 is formed by bringing the side edges 13 and 14 contiguous to each other and 10 is folded on a line 23 which extends between side edges 13 and 14 at right angles to fold lines 15 and proximate end edge 12. Such bottom wall is constituted of rectangular end flaps 24 defined by cuts 25 which are aligned respectively with fold lines 15 and extend inwardly from end edge 12 to the fold line 23. With the bottom flaps folded inwardly in overlapping relation with respect to each other and normal to the front, rear, and side panels of the container, they are suitably secured together as by tapes 26 and 27 pasted over adjacent edges of the flaps to seal the bottom wall of the container against dirt and dust and to add strength and rigidityto the container.

Reference numeral 30 designates a blank of paper board which is suitably scored and cut to form a cap or cover 31 for the container. The blank 30 is rectangular in outline and is scored to form fold lines 32, 33, 34 and 3S defininga top panel 36 which is co-extensive in area with the cross-sectional area of tubular body section 16. The fold lines of blank 30 are parallel to respective edges of the blank and are uniformly spaced inwardly of the edges so that marginal Walls of uniform height will be formed around the top panel 31 when the blank is bent on its fold lines. Reference numeral 37 designates the front and rear marginal walls of the cover and numeral 38 designates the side marginal walls.

by staples 41, whereby the walls 37 and 38 form a tubular portion for the cover which is telescopically received over.

the open end of the body section 16 with the inside face of the top panel 36 seated on the top edge 11 of the body section.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of means for releasably attaching garment hangers to the cover of the container. To this end the top panel 36 is scored alonga transverse line 44 which, in the illustrated embodiment, bisects thetop panel. The front and rear walls of the cover are cut at 45 and 46 respectively from the freeedges .of such walls to the fold lines 35 and 33 respectively so that the cover may be bent upon itself along fold line 44 as is shown in Figure 3. The top panel is provided with a plurality of apertures 47 arranged with their centers in a line parallel to and at one side of fold line 41, and on the other side of the fold line is another row of apertures 48, equal in number to the apertures 47. The individual apertures in one row are so located that they will become axially aligned with respective apertures in the other row when the cover is folded one member of a pair of apertures, one on each side of the fold line 41, with the centers of the apertures in each Theside walls are made free from the flaps which form thefront and rear 3 pair being in a respective line substantially at right angles to the foldlines 41.

A garment hanger 51 of conventional design is shown in Figure 3 attached to the cover.

of circular configuration and it extends through a pair of apertures 47 and 48.. To. insure that the hanger hook be held inthe apertures against being lifted therefrom, the apertures are located with respect to the fold line 44 in aposition such thatthe outermost edge 53 ,ofan aperture 47, and the, outermost edge 54 of an aperture 46'. are each, spaced fromthe fold line, 44 by a distance which is less than theradius of the hook 52. Thus when the top panel 36. is in flat. position as shown in Fignres,4'-6, it lies in a, plane forming asecantwith respect to the hook, andthechordportion; of such secant (i. e. distancebetweenv edges 53 and. 54) is less than thediameter ofjthe hook whereby the hook becomes engaged bythe top panel at aperture edges 53 and, 54. Such spacing of the apertures fromthe fold line 44. also causes the hook to fit down inthe cover, whereby. only a small portion thereof projects above the top surfaceof the top panel 36,.

For the. purpose of reinforcing the top panel 36. and especially for preventing the hook, of the hanger from tearing the panel betweenpairs of apertures 47. and 48, there is a fabric tape 56 cemented or otherwise suitably pasted onthe top surface of the panel. Such tape. is Per.- forated to provide holes alignedwith. theapertures 47 and 48 and the tape extends across the front andrear walls37 of the cover to reinforce. the edges defined by the cuts 45 and 46. To reduce the amountofopen space in the cover, the apertures 47 and 48 are formed of oblong shape with the longer dimension thereof arranged substantially at right angles to-the fold line. 44, and the width of the apertures is substantially equal to the diameter of thewire forming the hook of the hanger, whereby those arcuate portions of. the hook which are contained within the apertureswhen the cover is in flat condition substantially cover the area of the apertures. It is to be noted, too, that the. spacing of. pairs of opposite apertures in. the direction of thefold line 44 maintains the plurality of hangers, which'may be hung on the cover, in spaced apart and parallel relation, whereby the hangers are kept from sliding against each other when the container is moved. Thus garments (notshown) which are placed on the-hangers, hang'free in the container and do not. become pressed against each other.

After the container has been packed with garments, sealing tapes are employedto secure the cover on the box sectionof the container and to seal: the container against entry of dirtror dust; To this end a tape 58 is pastedito the'top surface of-ther cover. and it extends at each; end thereofv beyond. the: bottom edge of the side Walls of thCzCOVfiI' to be pasted torespective sidepanels of the box section, thereby to hold the cover in its flat position down onthe box'secti'on. A tape 59 is applied to cover the apertures 47 and 48and the cuts 45 and 46 and the tape 59' also serves to hold the hanger hooks down in their respective apertures. Finally a tape 60 iszpasted around the container to the lower edge of the cover and to panels of the box section, thereby firmly securing and sealing thecover on the box section.

When it isdesired to remove the contents from the containerv the tapes 59 and 6.0-may be cut or removed to free the cover. from the body section 16 of the container. The cover may then be folded upon itself on fold line 44 so that each half portion of the cover extends vertically upwardly from and rests upon the top edge 11 of the body section with the clothes hangers and garments thereon hanging from the cover. With the cover in such folded position on the body section, the cover may then be lifted upwardly'from the body section to remove the garments from the container. Any suitable lifting means may be emgloyedl'for thepurpose of. raising the cover and gat The hanger has a, hook portion 52, which in the illustrated embodiment is,

ments from the container, such for example as a wire frame (not shown) which engages the cover under thecover walls 38 and is adaptedto be raised as by means of a rope passing through a pulley or pulleys attached to a support above the container. In this way the garments are conveniently accessible in a condition wherein each garment is hung on a hanger and the hanger and garment may be removed from the cover. merely by lifting the hook of a hanger from the apertures in the cover. Thus the garments are received and removable from the container in the same condition in which they were originally placed in the container and not rumpled or soiled from being shipped.

From the above explanation of how the garments may be removed from the container it becomes clear that they may be loaded into the container on respective hangers in an easy and convenient manner in a reverse order of steps fromthat just described for removing them. Thus with the cover of the container suspended in a folded condition from a ceiling or other suitable support, hangers with garments on them may be hung on the cover by passing the books of the hangers through respective pairs of apertures 47 and 48 in the cover. The body section of the container may then be placed under the. suspended garments and raised to enclose the garments. The cover may then be lowered and rested on the top edge 11 of the body section and thus unfolded and sealed on the body section as with the tapes 59 and 60.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what-I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention,

which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent structures.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A shipping and storage container comprising a tubular body section closed at one end and open at its other end, an end cap formed separately from the body section.

comprising a panel coextensive with the cross sectional area of the body section and covering the open end of the body section, said panel being foldable along a transverse line therein and having a pair of apertures disposed one on each side of said transverse line for receiving means for suspending objects to be hung in the container..

2. A garment container comprising a tubular body'section closed at one end and open at its other end, an end cap comprising a panel coextensive with the cross sectional area of the body section,- marginal walls integral with the panel and providing a tubular portion for the end cap, the end cap being telescopically received over the open end of the body section for closing said open end, said marginal walls being severed whereby said tubular, portion is separable into two sections, said panel. being foldable alonga line passingthrough the places at.

which said marginal walls are severed, and apertures in said panel disposed on opposite'sidesof said line for receiving the hookof a hanger for hanging garments in the container.

3. A garment container comprising a tubular bodysection closed at one end and open at its other end, anend said apertures are of oblong shape with the longer; di a.

mension thereof extending in a direction normal to said transverse line.

5. A shipping and storage container comprising a tubular body section closed at one end and open at its other end, a cover formed separately from the body section closing the open end of the body section, said cover being foldable along a transverse line therein, said cover having a series of spaced apart pairs of apertures, the apertures of each pair being disposed one on each side of said line, said apertures being arranged to receive a plurality of hanger elements for suspending objects in the container, with the hanger elements being releasably engaged in respective pairs of the apertures.

6. A container according to claim 5 and including reinforcing tape on the cover, said tape having apertures therein registering respectively with the apertures in the cover.

'7. A shipping and storage container of paper board comprising a box section having front, rear, and side panels and a bottom Wall, a cover formed separately from the box section closing the top of the'box section, said cover having a straight row of spaced apart pairs of apertures extending from front to rear of the container, the apertures of each pair being disposed in a line normal to said row, a plurality of hanger elements equal in number to the number of pairs of apertures, each hanger element having a hook portion, said apertures of each pair being spaced from each other by a distance such that the outermost edge of each is spaced from the outermost edge of the other by a distance less than the diameter of said hook portions, said hanger elements being suspended in the container with their book portions extending through the apertures of each pair respectively, and tape means on the top surface of the cover covering said apertures.

8. A blank of paper board for forming the cover of a container adapted for shipping and storing objects, said blank being of rectangular outline, score lines formed in said blank on which the blank may be folded to provide two sets of opposing marginal side walls around the periphery of the cover, said lines marking the periphcry of an area constituting a top panel for the container, each 'wall of one set of said Walls being severed intermediate the ends thereof, a score line formed in said panel and extending between the places at which said Walls are severed whereby said cover may be folded upon itself on the score line in said panel, said panel having a series of spaced apart pairs of apertures, the apertures of each pair being disposed one on each side of and spaced equally from the score line in the panel for axial alignment with each other when the cover is folded upon itself to receive the hook of a hanger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,626,381 Batt Apr. 26, 1927 2,561,053 Fallert July 17, 1951 2,656,914 Gordon Oct. 27, 1953 

